Darul Uloom London School

Inspection of Darul Uloom London School Foxbury Avenue, Chislehurst BR7 6SD

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They enjoy coming to school to board and to study. Pupils like learning Islamic studies alongside a broad range of secular subjects. They study hard, but they also have a wide range of extra-curricular activities to get involved in. For example, pupils play football, go swimming, or can learn archery or horse riding.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. They have designed a programme of learning that aims to ensure that all pupils are ready for their next steps in education, employment and training. In most secular subjects, these aims are working well. The curriculum typically develops and deepens pupils’ learning progressively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff motivate and support pupils to achieve their personal goals and aspirations. For example, pupils receive guidance from an independent careers adviser and have careers talks from guest speakers and former sixth-form students.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils described the school as being like a family. Pupils treat one another, and staff, with respect. In lessons, they focus on their learning, and rarely disrupt others. They want to do well, and take pride in their achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that bullying rarely happens in this school. While uncommon, staff are quick to spot and resolve any incidents of bullying that do take place. Pupils are well cared for and feel safe.

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better?

Pupils enjoy their studies, and they achieve well in a range of subjects. The curriculum offer meets the requirements of the independent school standards. Parents and carers are supportive of leaders’ high aspirations as well as their work to provide all pupils with a well-rounded and ambitious academic education.

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better?

The broad curriculum continues in the sixth form. A levels and vocational subjects, for example in mathematics and engineering, reflect students’ goals for the future. Leaders have plans to extend the range of courses on offer in response to the growing number of students taking up places in the sixth form.

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better?

Pupils access a wide range of impartial careers advice, including information on the options available to them after Year 11 and Year 13. Leaders support students well with their university and apprenticeship applications.

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better?

In nearly all secular subjects, leaders have thought about the knowledge they want pupils to know and remember. They have sequenced the teaching of this knowledge well so that pupils increase their understanding over time. For example, in Arabic, pupils in Year 7 focus first on reading, writing and sounding out the alphabet accurately. Pupils then build on this by learning new vocabulary and how to make sentences using nouns, verbs and adjectives. By Year 10, pupils confidently use a 22–24 March 2022 range of vocabulary and tenses to extend their writing and translate more complex texts.

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better?

All pupils access the full range of subjects on offer in the school. In most subjects, leaders have identified how teaching needs to be adapted to meet different pupils’ needs and starting points. This means that all pupils develop and remember the knowledge as leaders intend.

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better?

In a few subjects, however, leaders are less clear about what pupils should learn and the sequence in which knowledge should be introduced and revisited. While most teachers have suitable expertise, the subject knowledge of a few staff is not fully secure. As a result, the teaching of these subjects does not enable all pupils to gain an in-depth mastery of fundamental ideas and concepts.

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better?

Pupils have a positive attitude to their learning. Classroom routines are well practised, and pupils know what is expected of them. There is very little disruption to learning in lessons. At break times, pupils are supervised effectively. They conduct themselves well and are respectful to one another. Pupils know the rewards and sanctions included in the behaviour policy and they consider them fair. Pupils appreciate that staff apply the behaviour policy consistently.

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better?

Leaders are rightly proud of the work they do to promote pupils’ personal development. This work is centred on encouraging pupils to become active and responsible citizens in modern Britain. Themes related to faith, family, fitness, finance and fun underpin the excellent provision on offer. Pupils are also taught about the principles of democracy, the law, and citizens’ rights and responsibilities. They learn about how the law is made and put into practice in Britain, and how this compares with their own faith. Pupils revisit these ideas regularly, discussing sensitive information and topics with great maturity and respect. Pupils take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, ranging from coding to martial arts.

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better?

The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programme forms an integral part of leaders’ work to support pupils’ wider development. Pupils are taught about the rights of different groups, for example those people who identify as LGBT. Leaders have made sure that the PSHE programme covers the statutory requirements for relationships and sex education.

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better?

Trustees and leaders know their school well. Alongside setting the long-term strategy for the school, trustees check leaders’ work rigorously and provide effective levels of support and challenge. This includes close oversight of leaders’ work to promote pupils’ welfare. If trustees do not have the expertise they require, they seek support from external sources to support their work. Trustees and leaders are aware of the work required to further improve the boarding provision and have a plan of action to achieve this. However, classrooms and teaching spaces are clean, well organised and suitably resourced. Toilets in the school meet the requirements of the independent school standards.

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better?

Staff enjoy working at the school and they said that the workload is manageable. 22–24 March 2022 Leaders and trustees make sure that the requirements of the independent school standards are met consistently. In addition, leaders have also made sure that the school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have developed a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. They have an up-to-date safeguarding policy, and this is available on the school website. Staff are well trained in the different risks to pupils’ welfare and what signs they need to look for. Regular briefings keep safeguarding at the forefront of everyone’s mind. They also keep staff well informed about issues in school and changes to policies or the local context.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe physically and online. Pupils and staff know how to report any concerns that they may have. Concerns are recorded clearly and leaders act on these promptly and effectively. Leaders know their pupils well and liaise with other professionals to get pupils the support they need.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a small number of subjects, the knowledge pupils need to know and remember is not clearly defined or sequenced. This holds pupils back in learning important ideas and concepts in these subjects. Leaders must ensure that all subject leaders think about the knowledge they want pupils to know and how this develops over time in these subjects.  The subject expertise of a few staff is underdeveloped. This results in some inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum, and teaching that is not sharply focused on ensuring that all pupils know and remember more in the long term. Leaders should ensure that all staff receive the training and guidance they need to teach the curriculum in the way that it is planned.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 22–24 March 2022

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School details

Unique reference number 101695 DfE registration number 305/6077

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School details

Inspection number 10210775 Type of school Other Independent School

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School details

School category Independent boarding school

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form

Date of previous inspection 18–20 June 2019 22–24 March 2022

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Information about this school

 Darul Uloom London is an independent boarding school for boys. It is registered for 155 pupils aged 11 to 19. There are currently 142 pupils on roll. The school has a Muslim ethos.  The school and boarding provision are located at Foxbury Avenue, Chislehurst BR7 6SD.  All pupils board in accommodation that is located on the school premises. Most pupils return home every other weekend.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school’s last inspection was a progress monitoring inspection in May 2021. The school met all the independent school standards and all the national minimum standards for boarding that were checked during the inspection.  The school’s last standard inspection was in June 2019. The inspection judged that the overall effectiveness of the school required improvement. The school did not meet all the independent school standards or all the national minimum standards that were checked during the inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the same time as an inspection of the boarding provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the principal, the executive headteacher, the designated safeguarding lead and other staff. Inspectors met with members of the trust.  Inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: English, Arabic and mathematics. Inspectors visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work, met with pupils to discuss their learning and met with subject leaders and teachers. Inspectors also considered pupils’ learning in other subjects, including art, music, history, science and religious education (RE).  Through discussions with leaders, trustees, pupils and staff, inspectors considered

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Information about this inspection

how effectively pupils are safeguarded. Inspectors also looked at records related 22–24 March 2022 to safeguarding, including records of pre-employment checks carried out before staff are appointed.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils from all year groups of the school. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at playtimes was observed.  Inspectors spoke to a range of staff about safeguarding, behaviour and about their workload. Inspectors looked at staff, parent and pupil responses to Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Mark Smith, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Aliki Constantopoulou Her Majesty’s Inspector 22–24 March 2022 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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